A digital rights management (DRM)-protected file is often associated with permissions regarding how the file can be used. One such permission specifies an allowed cumulative use (e.g., playback) time of the file. In operation, a rendering system informs a DRM system of the amount of time the file has been played, and the DRM system accrues that playback time against the allowed cumulative playback time. When the DRM system receives a subsequent request to play the file, the DRM system determines if the cumulative playback time permission is still valid, and, based on that determination, decides whether or not to allow the player to play the file.
Cumulative playback time permissions are typically used only with devices that have integrated DRM and rendering systems since the playback system needs to inform the DRM system of the amount of time a file has been played in order for the DRM system to accrue the playback time against the allowed cumulative playback time. As such, cumulative playback time permissions have not been used in environments where the DRM and rendering systems are distributed between two devices, such as when the DRM system is located on a memory device that stores a DRM-protected file, and the playback system is located on a host device.